Jimmy Patronis breaks personal goal, returns $1 billion worth of unclaimed property to Floridians

Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis celebrated a personal milestone Monday, announcing his office has returned more than $1 billion worth of unclaimed property to Floridians since taking office in 2018.

“I am thrilled to announce that since I became your CFO, we have returned $1 billion back to Floridians in unclaimed property,” Patronis said. “Today’s news is especially important as many individuals and businesses are looking for financial relief due to the impacts of COVID-19. Special thanks to the Division of Unclaimed Property for working extremely hard to hit this record, even during these challenging times. I will continue working every day to ensure every cent of the more than $2 billion in unclaimed property is returned back to the pockets of Floridians.”

The State of Florida defines unclaimed property as a financial asset that is lost, unknown, or abandoned. The most common types of unclaimed property are unclaimed insurance proceeds, stocks, dormant bank accounts, dividends, uncashed checks, deposits, credit balances and refunds.

“An estimated one in five Floridians have unclaimed property waiting to be claimed, free-of-charge,” Patronis said. “I’m encouraging all individuals and businesses to search now at FLTreasureHunt.gov and help us return another $1 billion.”

Florida has seen a surge in people making claims for unclaimed property since the coronavirus pandemic has shaken up the state’s economy. Even prominent figures such as Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and Florida Marlins co-owner Derek Jeter have unclaimed property with their names on it. Not least, Patronis said he returned a five-figure-check to former football football coach Lou Holtz recently.

Patronis wants Floridians to keep their friends and family in mind too.